Review: SUPERMAN #42 Brings Readers To The World of Bizarro To Meet Its Newest Member

To the uninitiated, I said that Bizarro is one of my favorite Superman villains. He is a villain that could be hilarious or extremely scary. The backwards bruiser has appeared in Superman comics since 1958 coming in a variety of forms. One of these came in the introduction of Htrae, a DC Earth where all of its denizens are backwards versions of the Justice League and its villains. It’s crazy, it’s zany, and in this arc, we’ll meet a new member of it. So what happens when Superboy looks into this backwards world and finds himself?

**Some Spoilers Below**

Story:

The opening to this story is a Bizarro re-creation of the Superman #1 in the Rebirth run. We see Bizarro’s life in Htrae and how much love he has for his son, Boyzarro. The son lives his life as an average member of the backwards world he lives on until the day a portal opens. This portal is actually a window that Superboy and his friend, Kathy, made to observe the world. After Boyzzaro touches the window, there’s a malfunction, causing him to fall into the main DC earth. Boyzarronow hunts for his doppelgänger as Jon returns home.

There’s one major problem with the issue, yet its also somehow its greatest strength. The first half of the story is narrated by Bizarro and his son. This is an interesting element and allows readers to connect with the Bizarro family. The problem is that, unless you’ve read Bizarro stories before, the backward speech might get irritating for you.

Other than that, this issue is pretty damn good. It has great humor, suspense, and sets up the story fantastically. I’m intrigued by what the Bizarro version of the Boy of Steel will do after he encounters his prime earth counterpart. Will they fight for the position of superhero-like their fathers before them or will they become friendly to one another, as with most adventures with Jon? Probably the latter, but that means we’ll get some kick-ass action.

Art:

Patrick Gleason on pencils is able to capture everything great about Bizarro and his world. He can make the world goofy looking one minute and utterly terrifying the next. His recreation of the opening to Superman #1, which he also illustrated, is perfect and fits the backwards nature of Htrae. This, of course, is also in part by the expert color work of Alejandro Sanchez. His vibrant colors make the world and characters pop and his dark colors give a sense of suspense. It’s range like this that makes me enjoy a book more and this team nailed it.

Conclusion:

ME HATED THIS ISSUE! It is a fantastic set up that introduces readers to Htrae and its cast. The art helps show off some colorful yet bizarre sights that just pull you in. The only warning I can give is, to those who are new to Bizarro, you might need to take it slow to understand what they’re saying. However, if you’re a seasoned veteran of the backwards bruiser, this might be the comic for you. ME GIVE A THUMBS DOWN!

REVIEW OVERVIEW

WRITING/STORY

PENCILS/INKS

COLORS

LETTERING

SUMMARY

This is a fantastic setup issue that introduces readers old and new to the world of Bizarro and his new son.